Miami Heat all set to take on the Indiana Pacers in Game-2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Miami Heat will host the Indiana Pacers for game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semi Final series on Tuesday. But this time, their starting five will be a bit different. Chris bosh, a regular starter for the Miami Heat and part
of the illustrious Big Three, suffered a strained abdominal muscle is Game 1 against the Pacers.
He was evaluated on Monday and thankfully, it was not a tear. However, Bosh is out indefinitely and it is highly unlikely that he will return for the series.
"This season has to be extended for me to play again. So that's what's on my mind” said Bosh.
In the absence of Bosh, Ronny Turiaf is likely going to start at center with Udonis Haslem playing at the power forward position. James will be playing small forward. However, it is expected that the Heat will be playing with a
different strategy without their All Star power forward.
The Pacers got a glimpse of the Heat’s likely strategy without Bosh in the 2nd half of game 1. Bosh left the game for evaluation and James and Dwyane Wade picked up their scoring to cover for his loss. James took 17
shots in the 2nd half while Wade took 13. All the other players did not take more than 2. Now with Bosh out for the remainder of the series, Miami will be relying heavily on James and Wade, which can become a weakness if Indiana finds a way of controlling
either of them, since they have no third scoring option now.
"It changes their team, but we've got to understand it doesn't allow you to play 5-on-4. They've got great players they can fill in for him. They've got different lineups that are sometimes more effective than the lineup with Bosh.
Obviously, not having to worry about Bosh helps because he's such a terrific player” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have a lot of thinking to do as well ahead of game 2. Despite having big men in the form of David West and Roy Hibbert, Indiana were outrebounded by Miami 45-38. West and Granger combined for 23 of the 38
rebounds, but others failed to chip in. Danny Granger shot 1 of 10 from the field and finished with 7 points.
A repeat performance of that caliber could cause further problems for the Pacers. George Hill and Paul George also failed to make an impact, scoring a combined 16 points for the night.
James was amazing on the night, scoring 32 points and reducing Granger to 7 on a 1 for 10 shooting from the floor. Wade put in the points when it was needed from him, scoring 27 to remind everyone that he is still one of the best
shooting guards in the league.
Indiana need to find an answer for these two, now with Bosh out of action. Erik Spoelstra was not too worries about Bosh’s absence and felt his team had the depth to win without him.
"We feel this team was built with a great deal of versatility. We feel that that is one of our best strengths” said Spoelstra.
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